


you looked so pretty underneath the snow that i couldn’t stop staring.

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Romance, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, depends how you view it, dreamiesexchange, the romance be kinda vibin harder tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 07:40:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21896113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: On their rare day off, Jeno takes Jisung to eat at a cafe. And what starts on a winter's day, ends on a winter's day.It's only natural they get snowed in at the end.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Park Jisung, Na Jaemin/Zhong Chen Le, jaemle make minor appearance
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22
Collections: DreamXmas 2019





	you looked so pretty underneath the snow that i couldn’t stop staring.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cherrycitrus_blossom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrycitrus_blossom/gifts).

> Prompt:  
Person A and Person B decide to use their rare day off and go on a food adventure around Seoul (or at least somewhere they can go by the bus or subway). Person A doesn’t really bother to eat because they are so focused on watching Person B’s eyes light up whenever they are eating food and taking note of which foods they enjoyed the most for future purposes. 
> 
> Sorry if it wasn’t food focused enough. I wanted to explore their relationship a bit more. I went ham on the paragraphing since I wanted the pace to be slower so it may look kinda funky. 
> 
> I tried to keep it platonic or as ambigious as I could but there’s a lot of romantic subtext so I guess I’ll die. But as Jeno said, there’s nothing wrong with finding your homie cute. I hope this is just the right amount of sweet and not overbearing. It was hard to choose which prompt I liked the most, but once I started writing, I liked this one the best.
> 
> That being said. I hope you enjoy this little gift, Kathryn! A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you♡♡

  
  


Jisung stares at the cup of tea placed in front of him. 

He stares into his reflection and lets the steam fog his glasses.

It’s comforting in a weird way. 

  
  


“I didn’t bring you here so you could have a crisis.”

  
  


Jisung jumps and Jeno laughs.

“Sorry, did I scare you?” 

“What do you think?”

Jeno smiles and takes a seat. “Sorry Sung, not my fault you were staring off into space.”

“Whatever,” he mutters. “Anyways, did you place our order?”

“Yeah, they’ll ring us up once it’s done. Speaking of which,” Jeno nudges his head to the cup. “you gonna drink that?”

Jisung grumbles and brings the drink to his lips. “I was going to….”

“Mhm, sure you were.”

  
  


They talked as they waited for their food. 

Well…it was more like a one sided rant with Jisung going off about the existence of a ghost in their practice room, and Jeno staring at him as if he were the world.

Jeno can already picture Renjun’s look of pure disgust and Jaemin’s shit-eating grin. But hey. There’s nothing wrong with finding your homie cute.

  
  


“Uh hyung?”

“Hm?”

“The buzzer’s been ringing for a while now….”

“Oh shoot!” Jeno leaps with wide eyes and bolts to the counter.

Jisung can only smile.

He briefly looks around the cafe—noting the reindeer antlers adorning the employees’ heads. Jisung can vaguely see the menu from where he sat, which also meant he couldn’t see Jeno anymore…. 

That is until he spots an obnoxious bright red blob emerging from the crowd. His first response is shock but it quickly devolves back into endearment, but by then Jisung had already ducked down, embarrassed. 

  
  


“What are you doing?”

Jisung sits back up with a cough. “I, uh...dropped my shoe.”

Jeno looks at him weirdly but doesn’t question it. “Anyways, here is your order Sir.” 

A plate of steaming hot pancakes gets placed in front of him. “One Hotteok and one Bingsu for me. Enjoy your meal.”

“Why are you eating ice in winter.”

“It’s actually good to eat cold stuff cause’ your body temperature is closer to it.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

There’s a mini Winterland sitting on his pancakes—made from cream and berries. Jisung almost feels guilty about eating the precious artwork, but the food smells good and he’s hungry. 

The flavour of pure sweetness hits his tongue and Jisung sighs in content. Nothing overtly over the top. Just a popular street food snack, revamped into a modern classic.

It’s hot when he takes a bite, but the cream cools down the sugar filling.

On the other end of the table, Jeno rests his cheek in his palm with eyes that scream adoration. 

During their trainee days, he remembers eyeing that deluxe headset in the shop window with a small Jisung munching on Hotteok next to him. Jeno would rather die than downright admit it, but sometimes his eyes would wander to Jisung’s reflection in the window. They haven’t really had the opportunity to roam the streets in a while, so what better way to relive their youth <strike>see Jisung smile</strike> than to treat him with his favourite childhood snack.

  
  


“Keep staring and the ice is gonna melt.”

Jeno looks like a deer caught in the headlights and Jisung can’t help but stifle a laugh. 

“Looks like you caught me. How are you enjoying your food? I brought you to a good place, right?”

“Yeah, I guess you did. The food matches the cozy atmosphere of this place—like a Hotel Inn. I like it.” Jisung takes another bite from his plate. “What about you?”

“Don’t know, haven’t eaten anything yet.”

“So you’ve been staring at me this whole time? Gross.”

Jeno almost falls out of his chair. “Hey! Don’t get it twisted. I just wanted to see if you were uh….”

Jisung leans over the table to pat his shoulder. “There, there hyung. It’s okay.”

He sighs in defeat. “There’s a lot to hate about you Park Jisung.”

Jisung takes it as a compliment and goes back to eating with a triumphant smirk. 

  
  


He sort of glances at Jeno too. Specifically at the beauty mark underneath his left eye. He’s never really paid attention to it before. Jeno looks up and Jisung immediately tears his gaze away. 

His cheeks feel hot and he prays it isn’t obvious.

  
  


“You know, I’m surprised you wanted to come with me.”

“Why’s that?” he asks.

Jeno shrugs. “No reason. Just thought you would’ve wanted to stay back with Donghyuck or help Mark out at the studio.”

“I just wanted to hang out with you. It’s pretty simple hyung.”

Jeno’s eyes fold into crescents. Jisung almost chokes on his food.

♥

“You alright?”

The door closes behind them with the chime of a bell.

“Yeah, you kind of caught me off guard back there.” 

Jeno grins. “People say I’m attractive.”

Jisung cringes. “Oh shut up.”

The elder boy smiles anyway. 

“So, anywhere else you wanna go?”

“Yeah. It’s a couple of blocks from here. Walk with me?”

“How else are we supposed to get there.”

Jisung closes his eyes with exasperation and begins walking.

  
  


Snow is falling and it’s somewhat freezing. 

Jisung sinks his chin into his scarf and stuffs his hands into his pockets. Jeno doesn’t seem to mind that his ugly Christmas sweater is the only thing keeping him from the cold.

They both walk in silence. Choosing to marvel the frosted shop windows and the snowflakes that fall from the sky.

If he’s being honest Jisung will never get used to the snow in Seoul. He knows he can’t blame a whole country for its weather, but it doesn’t really stick with him. It seems weird how such a busy and bright city can be hidden and covered in ice. Then again, Jisung doesn’t really like how hot it gets in the city either so he can’t say anything. 

He turns to look at the other side of the street but catches Jeno glance at him. Jisung snaps his head away. Jeno shrugs and turns his head around too. He’s counting every passing snowman he sees until his head goes sideways and the sound of footsteps run past him. 

“You little snot-nosed punk.” 

Jeno’s got him in a headlock and Jisung can feel his beanie slipping off his head. 

“Hyung stop! I’m sorry! It was in the spur of the moment!”

Jeno lets go and Jisung goes to fix his hair underneath his hat. He continues to smile and it freaks Jisung out to no end. 

“You smiling at me like that...you’re even scarier than Renjun hyung.”

“Thanks, I try to be. Anyways, this is the place you wanted to go to?” 

They’re both standing in front of a Convenience Store. “Not exactly an ‘exotic’ place.”

Jisung rolls his eyes and drags him inside. “Well, it sells exotic stuff so get owned.” 

The old lady at the counter gives them a friendly smile and the two immediately take an oath.

“We can’t mess anything up here.”

“What do you mean _ we, _ you’re the one always causing trouble hyung.”

“I’m not the one with clumsy hands. Just hurry up and get something,” Jeno whispers and pushes Jisung into a random aisle.

“Okay, okay. Jeez.”

  
  


They both look around the store, surprised at the number of foreign goods that line the shelves. Taking the time to browse around, their hands quickly become filled with snacks. 

Jeno’s about to turn the corner until he receives a kick in the back of his knee that almost sends him flying.

“Ouch! What was that for!?”

“Sorry! My hands are full. Just look!” Jisung uses his foot to motion something around the corner. Jeno quickly hides behind the racks.

  
  


There, standing right in front of the frozen food section were none other than their best friends. 

Chenle and Jaemin.

It seems like Jaemin cracked a joke judging from the way Chenle was hunched over laughing. Jaemin has this ridiculous lovestruck expression on his face and Chenle’s looking at him as if he were the stars.

  
  


“I hate this already.”

“Let’s escape while we can.”

“Agreed.”

  
  


And they do. They pay for their snacks and dash out into the snow. 

  
  


“You think they saw us?” Jisung asks in between pants.

“I hope not. If they do, I’ll never hear the end of it from Jaemin.”

Jisung can only nod in agreement.

  
  


They’re on their way back to the dorms now, tugging their bags in tow. They decide to take the long way through the park.

One: because they don’t wanna go back home.

And two: because they don’t wanna go back home.

Which turns out to be a big mistake because somehow they’ve become caught in a crossfire of snowballs. Weaving and dodging with the elegance of the dancers they are. They make it to safety.

But it also starts bucketing snow from the sky and now the boys’ main objective is to survive. 

  
  


“Hyung why did you make us go this way?!”

“I only went because you wanted to go Jisung!”

“Yeah, and I only went because you said yes!”

“Whatever! Get under a tree, we’re not gonna make it to the dorms!”

  
  


They fling themselves underneath the protection of a random tree and hope for the best. Jisung shakes the snow from his scarf and goes to look at how Jeno’s fairing. He drops the scarf.

  
  


Like the icicles that reflect the sun during an early morning. It all comes crashing down because Jeno looks absolutely ethereal. 

Jisung notices how the snowflakes fall from his eyelashes. How they form small constellations on his face. 

Time seems to slow. 

Just like how the first signs of winter come. Jisung feels like he’s watching a winter spirit awaken from a deep slumber. 

He stares at how the other boy’s milky skin glows as the sun hits. It’s the same air of tranquillity that the first dewdrops of snow share. 

Jeno looks up at him and Jisung thinks he’s staring into the eyes of an angel. 

  
  
  


_ Pretty. _

  
  
  


And Jeno stares back.

  
  


Thinking the same thing.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
